Castel Goffredo wins Italian Women's Super Cup after 45-44 escape

CASTEL GOFFREDO, Italy — Brunetti Castel Goffredo won the Italian Women's Super Cup for the eighth time in nine editions, beating Tennistavolo Norbello 130-117 on aggregate in a relay-format final. The three games finished 40-45, 45-44 and 45-28. The turning point came in game two. Norbello held two match points but could not convert. Castel Goffredo saved both, won 45-44, then took complete control of game three and won 45-28. It was the second consecutive year the event used the relay format. According to ETTU, the relay format rotates players every five points and runs each game to 45 points. No single player can carry a game; the outcome depends on squad depth and collective consistency across about nine rotations. Each hot streak is capped at five points, reducing the advantage of a single star and increasing match variance. Coaching interventions between rotations therefore become more decisive. Technical Director Alfonso Laghezza said after the match that Norbello had held the advantage, but Castel Goffredo made tactical adjustments that allowed the team to take control. He also stressed that experience in big matches helped the team stay calm after game two. Castel Goffredo fielded four players: Nikoleta Stefanova, Arlia, Cecilia Cicuttini and Marinelli. Norbello had Kolish, Ana Tofant and Moretti. President Franco Sciannimanico stressed that the winning team had no foreign players and that its players were born and raised in Castel Goffredo. Stefanova, however, is foreign-born, has lived in Castel Goffredo for many years and is considered one of the team. He also praised Cecilia Cicuttini as very young, outstanding and a significant contributor. It should be noted that the relay format carries high variance. The 45-28 score in game three showed Castel Goffredo controlled the match after escaping, but one match is not enough to conclude the team is systematically stronger than Norbello. Norbello came within two match points of the title, and the gap between the two clubs in Italian women's table tennis remains narrow. For Castel Goffredo, the title is a corrective cycle after defeat in the eighth edition. The team returned to the top through squad depth, pressure handling in game two and a timely tactical adjustment before game three.